The Ellis Archive: Susan Ellis Hot Topics

Susan J. Ellis began writing a monthly "Hot Topic" article on volunteerism in 1997 and continued for the next 23 years! The hot topic was available on her website and was always thought provoking and timely, sparking many discussions among leaders of volunteer engagement. In addition to providing a glimpse at several major events and trends during those decades, a majority of these articles are still very relevant to practitioners today.

Search within Hot Topics

Displaying 201 - 272 of 272

It’s Time to Discuss the Complex Relationship of Volunteering and Money

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Let’s Help People Help Each Other

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Working Together to Recognize Volunteers…and More

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Branding National Volunteer Week: Whose Week Is It Anyway?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Volunteers and the Quest for Innovation

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

I Really Want to Know: What’s Going on Out There?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Identifying Who Is and Is Not a “Volunteer”

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Ten Time-Tested Volunteer Recruitment Tips that Still Work

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Whom Don’t We Ask to Volunteer?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
October 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Pulling the Rug Out from Under Volunteer Involvement: Sudden Staff Changes

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
November 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

What Did You and Volunteers Do Well this Year?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2014 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Replace Current Volunteers or Redirect New Ones?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Do Volunteers Want to “Talk Amongst Themselves”?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

If Google Can’t Find the People Who Lead Volunteers, No One Can

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Fighting against Ignorance: Picking up My Sword Yet Again

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Mixed Messages to Volunteers Whom We’ve Asked to Be Friendly

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Letting Volunteers into the Team’s Locker Room

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

In the Middle: The Leader of Volunteers as Intermediary

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Keeping Former Volunteers as Our Long-term Friends

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
October 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Volunteers as Beta Testers

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
November 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

See Superheroes for What They Really Are!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2015 Susan J. Ellis Articles

The Domino Effect of Setting Goals for Volunteer Involvement

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
January 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Do You Stick Your Neck Out When Advocating for Volunteers?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Incorporate the Power of Live Web Calls into Volunteer Management

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Sending Volunteer Talent Down the Drain

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Political Campaigns: Epicenter of Volunteering

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

The Division of Labor between Volunteer Centers and Volunteer-Involving Organizations

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Inform, and WOW, Everyone about Volunteers

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Clients Are a Talent Pool, Too

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

The Limitations of Seeing Volunteers Only as Unpaid Staff

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Get the Most Support: Blending Money, Things, and People

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
October 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

What Volunteer Recruiters Can Learn from #GivingTuesday

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
November 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

When Things Look Dark, Volunteers Can Spark Lightning

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2016 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Pride in the Volunteer Management Profession

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
January 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Don’t Forget Volunteers as Part of the Solution to 2017 Nonprofit Challenges

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Energize Turns 40!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Continuous Learning Is Not Optional

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Find the Money for Priceless Conferencing

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

The “Social Compact” and Voluntary Action Are the Foundation of Democracy — Even Today

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Three Great Days: Reflections after the Summit on Volunteer Engagement Leadership

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Are You in a Volunteer Management Silo?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Leaders of Volunteers: Will You “Be the Voice ”for Our Profession?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
November 2017 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Letting Fear Prevent Volunteer Involvement is Too Risky

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2017 Jayne Cravens Articles

New Year’s Resolution for Executive Directors of Volunteer-Involving Organizations

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
January 2018 Betty Stallings Articles

Is Volunteer Management Really a Profession?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2018 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Happy Birthday to Energize’s Founder and a Volunteer Management Pioneer

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2018 Energize, Inc. Team Articles

Don’t Just Recognize Volunteers, INVEST in Them…and Yourself

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2018 Sheri Wilensky Burke Articles

Grow Volunteer-Staff Harmony: Plant New Seeds this Spring

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2018 Betsy McFarland Articles

Bribing volunteers: Should we be incentivising people for their time?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2018 Rob Jackson Articles

What Is the New National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement and What Will It Mean for Us?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2018 Betsy McFarland Articles

Leader or Liability: Are Leaders Sabotaging Volunteer Engagement?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2018 Andy Fryar Articles

Good News: Today and Tomorrow for Energize, Inc.

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2018 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Leaders of Volunteers: Stop Being So Bloody Nice!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
October 2018 Rob Jackson Articles

Volunteers? Donors? Let’s Call Them All Supporters!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
November 2018 Sheri Wilensky Burke Articles

Seeking Funder Support for Volunteer Engagement? Assess Your Approach!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2018 Betsy McFarland Articles

How Volunteer Action in 2018 Can Focus Us for 2019

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
January 2019 Susan J. Ellis Articles

The Times They Are a Changin’—Even for Volunteers

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
February 2019 Rob Jackson Articles

Remembering Susan J. Ellis

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2019 Energize, Inc. Team Articles

Lessons Learned About Leading Volunteers From a Volunteering Working Mom

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
April 2019 Sheri Wilensky Burke Articles

Could Volunteers Replace Paid Staff? Have No Fear!

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2019 Betsy McFarland Articles

Volunteering Trend Watch: What Can We Learn from Looking Back?

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2019 Cara Thenot Articles

S#%& Words We Need To Stop Saying: Words and Phrases to Erase from the Lexicon of Volunteer Management

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
July 2019 Rob Jackson Erin Spink Articles

When "Just" a Volunteer is Better than a Paid Employee

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
August 2019 Jayne Cravens Articles

Revisiting Credentials and Certifications in Volunteer Engagement

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
September 2019 Cara Thenot Articles

Fueling Volunteer Passion: Empowering Volunteers to Self-Motivate

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
October 2019 Sheri Wilensky Burke Articles

The Volunteer Engagement Cha-Cha

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
December 2019 Susan J. Ellis Articles

Re-Opening and Recovery: Volunteer Engagement Resources in a Coronavirus World

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
January 2020 Betsy McFarland Articles

Susan J. Ellis Foundation: Supporting the Volunteer Engagement Profession

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
March 2020 Kristin Floyd Articles

Supporting Volunteer Efforts During Coronavirus

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
May 2020 Betsy McFarland Articles

How Leaders Can Find Strength In Vulnerability

ENERGIZE, Inc -- Hot Topic
June 2020 Laura Maloney Articles